Taliban kill 2 Afghan soldiers; NATO soldier dies in separate attack

Aug. 26, 2013 - 11:20AM
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KABUL, AFGHANISTAN — Five Taliban suicide bombers killed two Afghan soldiers and wounded several others on Monday when they attacked an army base in eastern Afghanistan.

In a separate incident, NATO said a soldier serving with the international military coalition was killed by a bomb in southern Afghanistan. The NATO announcement provided no other details on the incident or the nationality of the soldier killed.

Most of the troops serving in the country’s south are from the United States. The death brings the number of foreign troops killed this month to nine, including seven from the United States and one from Poland. A total of 112 have been killed this year, including 85 Americans.

In the attack on the Afghan soldiers, Kapisa province spokesman Qais Qadri said the insurgents, all wearing explosive vests, died at the Afghan base in Tagab district.

Qadri said one of the five insurgents rammed a car bomb into the base’s main gate while the other four stormed the compound after the bomb went off. Another group of about a dozen militants also opened fire at the base from a distance, he added, and 10 were wounded before they managed to flee.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack in an email to media.

Insurgents have increased the number of attacks recently after the NATO-led international military coalition handed over security for the country to Afghan security forces.

Foreign troops have been leaving Afghanistan, with all combat forces scheduled to be gone at the end of 2014.